The Free Fall
by allekto
Summary: a night of drunken fun leads to some interesting times... yaoi ahead, and basic abuse of alcohol & the english language
1. 1

Notes: again- it's not Shinwa. But, I started this a while ago, nearly a year I think, and I really liked it but never finished it. Shinwa really has got me all blocked and messed up at the moment. Honestly, I'm really sorry because I know people are waiting on it. But hopefully the next chapter will be completed soon. Otherwise… Summer is here and the days are longer but that doesn't mean you shouldn't make every second of every night count…

Warnings: yaoi, if you've read anything I've written before the yaoi shouldn't come as a shock, but for those of you that have, you know what to expect. Still, I will say this: beware the random pairing(s)…

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon- never have, never will. This is for fun, but not profit.

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The Free Fall- 1

"Ow! God dammit, Yamato! That was my fucking foot!" Taichi screeched as he tried to remove the offending end of his new couch from the aforementioned foot. Heaving the awkward, heavy piece of furniture into place he collapsed onto said couch and continued to wail. "Son of a _bitch_ this is painful."

"Not quite as painful as listening to you scream about it," Yamato said dryly, a smile quirking his lips. After being favored with a dark look from the brunette he shrugged and then rolled his sapphire eyes as his friend kept on bemoaning his pain. "Move your fat ass over and let me take a look at it."

Automatically shifting, Taichi winced as the blond removed his sock and inspected the damage. "Hey! My ass is not fat, thank you very much." He paused a moment, "Since when did you know how to inspect a possibly broken foot?"

Glancing up into luminous chocolate eyes he felt an eyebrow rise. "Since I started hanging out with you."

Tai stuck his tongue out at that. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Really? Because I answered what you asked…" Yamato snickered at the playful smack he received.

"Shut the fuck up! What I _meant_ was… since when did you become Doctor Yamato? Where did you learn this?"

It was quiet for a few moments while Yamato gently massaged his friend's foot, looking for any serious damage. Finally he answered, voice hushed, "Jyou."

Silence enveloped the pair for a few minutes longer as Tai thought about the statement. "Oh," he murmured. And Taichi never murmured unless something was wrong. Everyone knew that. However, he had known of his illustrious blond friend's… involvement with Jyou. But that didn't mean he had to like it. Frowning a little he pulled his foot away from the delicate touch being applied to gauge his injuries. "Look okay?"

Swallowing around the tension in his throat Yamato nodded. "It doesn't look broken or like anything really bad happened. Just a bruise."

"Thanks." He knew he was being harsh, but studying is friend he noticed something else. Gods he felt like such an asshole. "Hey, Yama… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring him up. I just didn't realize…" Placing a gentle hand on the blond's shoulder he could feel the young man's frame shaking a little and heard a tiny sigh escape his friend's mouth.

"You didn't bring him up, Tai. I did." Closing his sapphire eyes only made them burn more. But he refused to cry. He had spent too much time already sobbing over his heartbreak, the reality of his last boyfriend's parting words echoing in his mind.

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"I know you don't love me! Stop pretending, Yamato! I'm not the one you love…"

A warm embrace pulled Yamato out of his painful memories. Leaning into Tai's arms he felt a wave of comfort wash over him. It was true. What Jyou had said, it was the truth. But he didn't dare speak it aloud. No matter how accepting Taichi might have been, he would still say no. Rejection wasn't something Yamato handled well. But maybe…

"Hey, don't be sad Yama-sama. Tai doesn't like it when you're sad. Tai wants you to smile, or at least not cry. Hey don't give Tai that look. Taichi's gettin' upset!" Reverting to third person always lightened Yamato's mood. It was a trick he had learned after they watched some American television show. Without fail Yamato gave a tiny smile, right on schedule…

"Don't call me Yama-sama," he squirmed out of Tai's embrace and scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, feeling like he was a child again. What was _wrong_ with him? He knew he didn't love Jyou. He knew they were only supposed to be having fun. But then, why did it hurt so much…?

Lifting Yamato's chin, Tai looked squarely into two rapidly liquefying eyes that threatened to spill at a moment's notice. He gave in and pulled his friend into another comforting hug. "It's okay," he whispered. "Just let it out." A muffled response came from somewhere against his shoulder. "What was that?"

"No," Yamato said firmly. "I'm sick of crying." He scrubbed at his eyes again. "I'm fucking sick of it. It's not worth crying over anymore. And I'm sick of feeling pathetic." Drying the last bit of salinity from his eyes he stood with the definite purpose of finding something to take his mind off of the navy haired… boy he had dated for nearly two years. "I'm sick of all this fucking drama," he growled at the brunette on the couch. "This is life, not some soap opera. You coming?" Pulling his leather jacket on he turned to look at Tai sitting on his new couch in his sparsely decorated apartment.

"Um, if I can get up sure. Where are we going?" Standing, he felt a flash of pain in his foot, but it was forgotten the moment Yamato gave him a warm smile and threw his coat at him.

"We'll figure it out when we get there." Eager to let go of the past once and for all, he felt impulsive and wild. "Who's driving, you or me?"

"Fuck driving, we're taking the train," Tai replied. "You're acting too much like me right now to drive and we all know what I'm like behind the wheel, so fuck it. Besides," he added grabbing the blond's hand and pulling him out the door, "it's one of those nights where what we really need is to get piss-ass drunk." Locking the door to his new apartment he tugged his closest friend downstairs to the city and all the wonders of nightlife in Tokyo.

***

"Tonight is one of those nights where everybody just needs to get piss-ass drunk," Daisuke said and knocked back a shot of 100 proof Southern Comfort. Steadying himself on the counter he took a deep breath and almost immediately regretted the action. "Damn, that shit burns like a _bastard_ going down."

"I was unaware that a bastard child had flammatory properties, Daisuke," came a sardonic voice.

"Shut up, Iori," the burgundy haired youth replied. "When you grow some balls and take a shot of this shit, then you can talk like that. Until such time- shut up." As he spoke he picked up his shot glass and turned it to look at the world through his improvised monocle and yelping when it was taken away.

"You look like a retard," Iori stated. Ushering the inebriated Daisuke to the stool he had pulled up, he sat beside him. 

The two young men surveyed the scene. Noting, with acute interest, the actions of the couples around them, they each heaved a sigh. The younger of the two watched as two angels swayed together in their own dance, lost to the world. Shining with hope and light they moved together in a synchronous fashion that plagued him with jealousy. Beside him, the older one kept casting quick glances to another couple, each with odd hair color. They fawned over one another like the young lovers they were. Each youth frowned in heartbreak before giving matching pain filled sighs.

Turning his glassy eyes to the luminous angels, Daisuke grimaced at their embrace. "Are you sure you want to stick around, Iori? We can always leave. There's nothing saying we have to torture ourselves."

A snort came from the solemn young man. "No, I'd prefer to stay. Even if I can't have what I want it's nice to know that it still exists. That it's not a fairy tale or just some dream I had as a child." His words became soft, thick with emotion. He turned his jade gaze to Daisuke. "Are you sure you want to be here?"

"Shit yeah! Don't you know I have 'masochist' tattooed on my forehead?" Giving a drunken laugh he poured himself another shot. "Want one?" His companion shook his head. Shrugging, the burgundy haired young man eyed the amber liquid losing himself in quiet contemplation. "Yeah," he said slowly, "I just love to torture myself." Raising the glass to his lips he swallowed the whiskey and tried not to cough from the afterburn.

Iori frowned and followed his friend's gaze to the fawning couple. Ken and Miyako sat entwined on a chair talking with Mimi, Jyou, and Koushiro. Their arms wound around each other, blissful smiles on their faces. Though Iori might have seemed unemotional he was perfectly capable of understanding what was going on. After all, he was human, and everyone felt something at least once in their lives. "Don't do this to yourself Daisuke," he placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't sit here and watch them and make yourself miserable."

Looking up into Iori's face he couldn't keep a grin away. "Pot calling kettle black? Pot calling kettle black? You're table is ready." Laughing at the younger man's frown he stretched a little- sitting on the same stool all night was becoming tiresome. "Like you're any better? At least you've got one up on me. I know for a _fact_ that the dumbass blond over there likes you," he pointed to the angel in question. "Hell, he loves you even!" Arms moving in wild accentuation of his words he flailed for a minute nearly losing his balance. Recovering he chuckled again, but the sound lacked its usual mirth. "I know Ken doesn't want me that way. He never will. As god awful corny as this is going to sound, at least you have hope."

Staring into Daisuke's shining cinnamon eyes, he let the words sink in. The two exploded into laughter over the ridiculous sentiment. When their amusement quieted they were wiping away tears. "Oh that was a good one, Dai," Iori commented wiping his eyes. He noticed the puzzled looks coming from the couples they were observing. Accepting defeat he reached for a shot glass. "Pour me one of those will you?"

Eyebrows shooting up he grabbed the bottle. "You sure?" 

"We need to get piss-ass drunk remember?"

Smiling and pouring he toasted to a long, miserable life and swallowed his drink. "Want another?"

Iori's eyes were watering again. "Yeah," he coughed a little. "You were right. That shit does burn like a bastard."

Daisuke laughed and poured another round. The night was young and they still had a lot of liquor to get through.

***

Whoever said that getting completely plastered with close friends was overrated had obviously never had friends like Taichi. Chuckling to himself, Yamato followed the brunette out of yet another strip club- all male revue. They had each gone through far too much money but they were also having way too much fun to care. Pausing on the sidewalk the blond leaned against a brick building letting the world swim before his sapphire eyes.

"Hang on a second. I need to get a grip on things," he breathed through more laughter. Passersby gave the duo peculiar looks which Yamato only chalked up to jealousy. They were able to be open and laugh in the face of misery. Oh yeah, life was good. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "my baby brother is having a party at my mamma-dukes' place tonight. Wanna crash?"

Chocolate eyes radiated with skepticism. "A high school party? Dude, we're almost out of college and you wanna crash a high schooler's party?" Leaning beside his friend he eyed him critically. "May I ask why?"

"Free liquor." A drunken grin spread across his face Yamato laughed at his own joke. The sound was abruptly cut off when he felt Taichi lean into him, pressing their sides together. Taking a deep breath he fought an internal war: pull him close versus pull away. In the end he stayed put without engaging in further contact. "You're awfully cuddly this evening."

Giving a tiny shrug he smiled into the leather clad shoulder beneath his cheek. Alcohol gave him a nice excuse. "I guess…"

"And when did you find out where all the gay strip clubs were?"

"Since I realized I like guys."

Startled, Yamato pushed the brunette away and stared him down. "And when the hell was that?!"

Thinking a moment, Tai could feel the alcohol in his bloodstream sinking in, being absorbed more by the second. "I think it was around the time you started dating Jyou." He said the words flippantly, not realizing how much he was revealing.

"What?!" When his companion turned to leave, Yamato grabbed him and spun him around. "Taichi…" His eyes began to water at the warmth radiating from Tai's smile.

"Yama, Yama, Yama… You're so beautiful. Did I ever tell you that? No? Well, I'm telling you now. And there's something else I want to tell you..." Leaning closer he let his breath fog the blond's mind, brushing across his face.

"Yeah, Tai? What is it?" Heart fluttering in anticipation, he could barely believe the moment was real. Tai's words brought him crashing back down.

"I think I'm gonna boot…" And he bolted into an alleyway and threw up in a trashcan. 

Sapphire eyes flashed with pain- dazzling in their beauty- before calming into concern, compassion, friendship. The role he would always play. The consummate friend…

***

Several rounds of shots gone by and Daisuke sat trying to prop up a very drunken Iori. The task was proving difficult as Dai, himself, was also fairly wasted. They had long since made the switchover from whiskey to Bacardi 151- so hardcore it was nearly flammable going down the throat.

"Daisuke," Iori slurred, "why is he such a pussy? Why? I mean, I know he cares, know he'd marry me if he could. But NO! Instead he's with the perfect little June freaking Cleaver of Tokyo. Why?" Swaying on his stool, Iori tried to move his hands and arms to go along with his speech. It didn't work out too well for him.

"Shit, man… I don't fuckin' know. I just know that if you went over to him and kissed him he would never push you away or anythi-" he stopped completely. "Hey! Tai and Yama are here! Ooh, looks like they've been pre-gaming it."

The younger of the drunken duo swerved to look at the main door where the blond was busy trying to help the brunette remove his shoes. It ended with both men on the floor, laughing hysterically, and trying to take off more than just shoes.

Jade eyes wide, Iori spun on his stool again- an action he regretted immediately. "You don't think they've been…?"

"What? Fucking like bunnies?" Daisuke shrugged and poured another round of shots. By then, something else had caught his attention. "Could be. Although they don't seem to have that glowyness about them, you know?"

The younger one scowled. "Glowyness isn't a word. And you sound too freaking sober. I think you need to drink both of those! Bottom's up!"

After tipping back one shot, Dai shook his head trying to clear it. No luck. "I was planning on taking both anyway. Did you see where they went?"

"The Genius and The Bitch? Yeah, they wandered off to one of the back bedrooms a while ago." Thinking for a moment, Iori tried to form a logical train of thought, because he was dealing with Daisuke- and who knew what Dai was planning. "Eeeewww… You aren't gonna go watch them are you? That's gross!"

Giggling a bit, the older boy shook his head. "No. Oh no, no, no. You obliviously… obviously… yeah, obviously failed to notice that Miyako came stumbling back out here five minutes after they vanished and proceeded to puke in the garbage over there."

"Really? No shit? How long has she been out here?"

At that point, the newest party-goers interrupted the conversation. "Dai and Iori!" Taichi enveloped them both in a hug. "How's it goin'? You feelin' as good as me right now?"

"Give me a couple minutes and I'll get back to you on that." Saying his piece, Daisuke wandered away and headed towards the room where he thought Ken was probably passed out. 

"Where's he off to?" Taichi tilted his head in that adorable way drunks can manage. "Ooh, 151… that takes me back! Want one, Yama?" Turning to the blond for an answer he noticed his friend was busy staring elsewhere. He followed the direction of two very riveted sapphire eyes and spotted the mess in the corner. A rather interesting mix of JyouMiShiro action was taking place. Too drunk to be pissed off, the brunette sighed and shoved a shot glass into Yamato's hand. "Drink this, it'll make you feel better."

Without really paying attention, the blond downed his shot… and then proceeded to have an enormous coughing fit. "Fuck, Tai! What the shit did you just give me? Kerosene? Jesus Christ…" Still coughing, Yamato leaned on the counter for support as his friend rubbed his back.

"Bacardi 151," Iori answered, voice full of barely concealed amusement.

"Kills brain cells like nothing else," Taichi chimed in. Biting his lip, he added, "Seriously though, do you want to stay? I mean, we can jet any time. You just say the word and we'll give this party a big jerkoff."

At that, Yamato shifted his head so he was looking upwards at Tai from his comfortable resting spot on his arms. "You just wanted to say jerkoff," he cracked a smile. "And yes, he is." Standing and trying to clear the haze in his vision he glanced around the room. "Pour me another one of those while I try to go find my brother."

Taichi gave Yamato his most dazzling smile. "You're the boss." Turning to the younger boy he snapped his fingers. "You heard the man. Start pouring, bitch!"

Chuckling to himself, the blond wandered a few feet away from the scene to move closer to the living room. Off to his left he glanced down the hall in time to see Hikari running out of the bathroom and straight for him.

"Arethereanypapertowelsinthekitchen?" As drunk as Yamato was, 'Kari sounded like she was talking at the speed of light.

"Huh? Paper? You just came from the bathroom, there's toilet paper in there!" He waved a hand at the open door in the hallway. A rectangular spray of light spilled from the room and he staggered towards it. "TK in there with you?" Barely catching Hikari's nod he moved down the hall while she moved to see her brother getting even more intoxicated in the kitchen.

When the blond finally reached the doorway to the bathroom, the smell hit him first. Someone was quite obviously sick. Another second ticked by and the sound finally registered with him. Someone was _definitely_ sick. Hesitantly looking in, he found his brother holding back Miyako's hair- his face looking a bit greener than it should have. 

"What up TK? How much did she have?"

Before the younger brother could answer there was a loud moan followed closely by a scream from down the hall. And the scream sounded like someone was having the best orgasm of their life. Eyes widening, Yamato scratched his head and asked the dumb question to end all dumb questions: "Where's Ken?"

At that, Miyako's head shot up from the toilet bowl. Groping for the roll of paper in Takeru's lap she wiped her face and spun around. All this, and the moaning and screaming were only increasing in volume. Amber eyes narrowed behind her glasses as she carefully rearranged her hair and hissed, "I'm going to fucking _KILL_ Daisuke."

***

Daisuke, of course, was having the time of his life…

When he left Iori, Taichi, and Yamato in the kitchen area he had carefully walked down the hall. Even in his stupor, Dai knew well enough that if anyone in the bathroom spotted him, his mission would end right there. He winced at the sound of Miyako throwing up and dared to look in on the action. Hikari and Takeru were whispering to one another over the sick girl's head and they shared matching looks of quiet upset and understanding. And while Daisuke thought it was all highly suspicious and would have loved to get the gossip material firsthand… he had a friend to talk to.

Moving past the bathroom he found two doors. Luckily, one was already open and revealed Ken was not inside. Pulling it closed, he then opened the door the next room and stepped inside. A lamp by the bed was on giving the room a grand total of, maybe, two watts of light. Closing the door, Daisuke moved over to the bed and found his best friend laying on his side, eyes closed in what looked like sleep- but Dai knew better. Ken was trying to make the spins stop.

Quickly turning off the light, Daisuke blinked against the darkness and let his eyes adjust. With all of the adrenaline pumping through him, he was beginning to sober up. As soon as darkness blanketed the room though, the figure on the bed stirred.

"Miya?" Ken's voice sounded tired. "You okay? I hope it was just a false alarm."

Daisuke only held his breath. He couldn't have replied anyway, Ken kept talking.

"Listen, I really don't think this is the time or place for us to… you know… I mean, it's our first time and all, and really, we're both cocked and it's not a good idea-"

Daisuke couldn't contain himself any longer. "Excellent choice of words, Ken." He tried to pitch his voice like that of the absent girlfriend. Apparently, Ken bought it.

Slapping out at the empty space in the room Ken groaned in frustration. "You know what I mean!" Sighing, he sat up on the bed. "Tonight just doesn't feel right, Miya. I don't want to lose my virginity in some drunken blitzkrieg of bad sex."

The more his friend spoke, the more Daisuke had to bite his tongue. Or rather, he bit his finger to keep from laughing. To him, it sounded like Ken didn't want to sleep with Miyako at all- ever. Forget about waiting for the right time. So, being the bold young man that he was, Dai decided to prove that to both Ken and himself. Leaning forward he whispered, "Shut the fuck up and kiss me."

When their mouths met, Ken knew something was different. For one, the style was much better than Miyako's usual way. Hmm… perhaps he should get her drunk more often. He decided to just go with it and let her push him back onto the bed. Ken trusted his instincts to kick in and stop everything before his girlfriend tried to screw him. It was getting more and more difficult to come up with legitimate reasons to avoid sleeping with Miyako. Drunkenness, however, provided a perfect excuse. Unfortunately, though, it made his mind wander the way it usually did, but it took out the middleman between his brain and his mouth. The thoughts in his head escaped as his girlfriend moved from mouth to ear to nuzzling at his neck. With her hands roaming over his body and the thoughts in his head, the name came out of his mouth before he could stop it. "Oh god… Daisuke…"

Daisuke froze. No…fucking…way… "How did you know it was me?"

Wait just a minute now… Ken's eyes snapped open. Sitting up too quickly he bumped foreheads with whoever it was on top of him and reached for the light. When it snapped on, he felt his face go slack with shock. Still perched above him, Daisuke's chest was heaving and his cheeks were a little flushed… and he had certainly been enjoying what he was doing to Ken. "Dai," he sputtered, "what are you doing here?"

A bunch of possibilities ran through his mind. All of which seemed way too hectic to go through. Ultimately, Daisuke shrugged and looked his friend dead in the eye. "Does it matter?" Slithering forward, he breathed against Ken's neck and finally lowered his hips, rotating them a bit in the process. "You don't really want her anyway, Ken," he breathed.

At any other time, Ken probably would have tried to defend himself. But at that point? Hell no. The feeling of Daisuke pushing against his hips and breathing in heavy pants against his neck was overwhelming. And it was better than it had ever been in Ken's fantasies. He let his friend continue his movements for a few minutes before responding. "I don't want to talk about her anymore. Just fuck me, Dai-chan." Then he pulled Daisuke closer for a kiss.

It was music to Daisuke's ears. Desire flooded his system, and he let it do all his thinking from that point on. He knew what was happening. Part of him wondered about the consequences- but it was a mere gossamer thread in the back of his mind. The rest of him was too caught up in the sensation, the sounds of Ken's screams mingling with his own throaty moans. Everything he had ever wanted was reaching a crescendo- Ken was crying out declarations of love and begging for more, and Dai was just giving it to him...

And when Miyako burst through the door with flames in her eyes… all Daisuke could think to say was, "Could you just give us, like, another five or ten minutes?"

*************

to be continued

I'm sorry… but this was just so much fun. And trust me, it's going to get a lot more interesting. Again, sorry it isn't Shinwa- but it's some nice, light fun! Feel free to review, but you don't have to.


	2. 2

Notes: this fic is just fun. And also very much planned out- and the planning kinda took me by surprise. My brain put in plot twists that I never intended, but now they seem pretty rowdy. Just be aware that, for a change, I think everyone is going to be portrayed in a happy kind of way. No bashing, no evil people- but there will be angst! Because without angst, where would we be?

Warnings: yay for yaoi! Yay for… other things… eh heh, yeah…

Disclaim: I'm po'. So po' I can't afford the other "o" and the "r" to complete the word. If I owned the show, do you really think I could claim that? Honestly.

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The Free Fall- 2 Hungover & Gooood Lookin'!

Daisuke opened his eyes the next morning to find that being awake was a horrible idea. The scant amount of light that was in the room made his brain want to explode and ooze out of his ears. Curled up in a quilt on an unfamiliar bed, he tried rubbing some alertness into his eyelids. And found out that too was a horrible idea. Still not daring to sit up, he arched his back in a stretch and groaned.

"Fuck," his voice was raspy and cut through the silence of the room. It was quiet for another few moments before he heard a sleepy sounding murmur from somewhere nearby. In fact, it sounded like it was right… next… to him… Daisuke sat up too quickly and looked to his left. Sure enough, there was someone curled up in the quilt with him. Now if he could just remember who it was…

His stomach dropped out as the figure rolled over and mumbled, "Turn off the sun. It's fucking bright and making me want to die."

A quick recollection hit Daisuke. Shit. He was a dead man. Miyako would definitely see to that. Swallowing back the fuzziness in his throat he managed to reply to Ken. "The shades are already closed, Ken. This is as dark as it's going to get."

It was almost comical to watch Ken's reaction to his voice. Two indigo eyes snapped open and the genius bolted upright in the bed. "You!"

"Well, I'm not Miyako- that's for god damn sure." Daisuke finally realized he was naked as he got out of the bed. He shrugged and started looking for his clothes.

Meanwhile, Ken was burying his face in his hands. "Shit. She's going to fucking kill me! Oh fuck Daisuke, what did we do?!"

Pulling on his jeans, the other boy shrugged again. "You just answered your own question." He eyed Ken for a minute before bending down to get his shirt. Pulling that on as well, he sat on the bed again- dangerously close to Ken. "You okay?"

Ken shied away from the warm touch of his best friend. "I don't really know," he answered as cautiously as he could.

For his part, Daisuke only nodded before leaning closer to kiss Ken on the cheek. "Let me know when you figure it out okay? For whatever it's worth to you, I'm not sorry about what happened. But right now I need to go home, pop a few Tylenol, take a shower, and go back to sleep. So, you know where I'll be. Call me later." Without waiting for an answer he stood up and left.

Once the bedroom door closed at his back he stopped and took a breath. It was actually ridiculously early- still single digits. A few of the others were sleeping on the couches and chairs in the living room as he walked out, trying not to think. He knew. He already knew what Ken was going to do. Ken was going to say it was a mistake, go back to his girlfriend and beg forgiveness, which she would grant on the stipulation that he never see Daisuke again. That was exactly what was going to happen. Because Dai knew what Ken was already thinking. That he had gotten it out of his system. The lust that had been there had been burned, or better yet fucked, away. Tying his sneakers, Daisuke bit his lip and tried his hardest not to cry. By the time he was in the stairwell he lost the fight and tears were flowing like a river down his face.

Life just wasn't fair.

***

Yamato was slowly coming to the conclusion that life just wasn't fair. After Miyako walked in on her boyfriend and his best friend in bed together Taichi had grabbed the blond and the duo made a beeline for the door. It was an insane drunken walk that brought them back to Taichi's apartment where they slept for the night. Before Yamato woke up with the hangover to end all hangovers and an unconscious Tai sleeping on top of him. Talk about awkward positions. Blushing and thinking for a good fifteen minutes yielded one conclusion: Yamato had to pee. Gently rolling Taichi off, the blond got up and stalked to the bathroom.

Upon his return, he couldn't help but notice how cute Tai looked all curled up on his couch with a dreamy smile on his face. But, it was nearing noon and they had plans. Yamato gave Taichi a gentle shake trying to rouse him out of dreamland. 

When the brunette opened his eyes, he issued one plaintive statement: "I feel like I'm about to fucking die."

Yamato chuckled. "I can understand that feeling right about now. But get your lazy ass up, we've got to meet your sister for lunch in half an hour."

Tai simply pulled a pillow over his face. "Motherfucker. Think she'd be understanding of the situation and let me cancel?"

"Not a chance in Hell, Tai."

"Shit." He threw the pillow off his face.

"My sentiments exactly." Yamato watched as the brunette tried to get up from the sleeper couch they had moved in the day before. He moved with that dreading calm that was a sure signature of a hangover.

"How long have you been awake?" Tai coughed to try and kill the furry creatures that seemed to have taken up residence in his throat.

"Not long. I woke up a few minutes before I got you up. Why?"

Looking back over his shoulder at Yamato, Taichi frowned. "Because you sound downright chipper. Try to at least sound as crappy as I feel, all right?" Wincing, he managed to stand up and keep his brain from flying loose of his skull. "Ugh. Where's the Advil?"

Sighing, Yamato stood as well. "You're out, I already checked."

Taichi thought he was going to cry. "I am not going outside until I get some form of headache killer in my body. And I'm sure as hell not putting up with my sister when I feel like ass." He put a hand to his head. "Jesus, why did we drink so much last night?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Yamato shuffled his way across the room towards the door. "Come on, you lazy ass. Get in gear- we're down to twenty minutes."

As the blond left he heard Taichi give an indignant, if not completely hungover cry of, "Fuck you and all you stand for!"

"Yes, curse me and my damn punctual habits!" The blond called back to his friend, smiling and trying to find some food. Cabinets: empty. Fridge- empty. As a last desperate attempt… drawers? Empty. "Tai, how can someone eat as much as you and not have any food in their apartment? Tai!"

The brunette stood in the doorway. "You don't have to shout, I'm here. And I don't even want to know what talking so loud just did to your brain cells."

Yamato shook his head. "I killed off whatever cells were left last night. Fuck you and your idea of one fifty-one."

Taichi's mouth quirked. "Yes, curse me and my desire to try and make you happy instead of bitter." He held on his hand. "You want a pair of these? I have a feeling we may need them."

The blond slipped the sunglasses on. "Let's roll."

Mirroring his friend, the brunette gave a half-hearted grin. "Roger that, we are G to go."

As the pair sauntered down the street, Taichi finally spoke up again. "I can't believe Dai and Ken slept together last night."

Yamato snorted. "Screw that, I can't believe they're still alive and that Miyako didn't kill them."

After purchasing the pre-requisite drugs for a headache the conversation resumed as they approached their meeting place. "Yeah, they've got a lot going against them, don't they?" Yamato was glad his eyes were hidden.

They sat outside and waited for Hikari. Taichi was silent for a long time before responding to his friend. "Not like us, you mean?"

Surprised, to say the least, the blond removed his sunglasses. "What are you talking about? Like us…? They aren't the least bit like us-"

"Dude." Tai gave the other young man a deadly serious look, pulling off his glasses. "You know what I mean. After last night, I can't keep pretending there's nothing there, Yama. I mean-"

"You want to give it a try then? Us, I mean?" Wow. Yamato was astounded that it was all happening so easily. If he had known that it would be so simple he would've asked Tai out years ago!

Taichi smiled, despite his splitting headache. "I thought you'd never ask." Leaning forward, he kissed his best friend and long time love…

Only to hear a high, feminine shriek a second later. "Is every guy I know freaking gay?!" Hikari stood, staring, with tears in her eyes.

"Good to see you too, 'Kari," Tai replied, voice dry. "Could you keep it down though? I've got a nasty fucking headache."

Her only response? She glared at her brother and promptly gave him the finger.

***

Close to noon, Daisuke was still trying to take a nap while his head was calming down. It felt like a herd of elephants had used his cranium as a trampoline. Thankfully, his family was nowhere to be found so he was left to suffer in peace. At least, until the doorbell rang. And was followed by a lot of pounding. And yelling…

Dai managed to trudge his way out to main door of the apartment and open it without ever checking to see who was so intent on being pissed off. He was rather surprised to see who his visitor was. "Iori," he said slowly. "How you feeling right now?"

Instead of answering with words, the younger boy broke down into quiet sobs right on Daisuke's doorstep. "I hate my life," Iori cried. "I fucking hate my life!"

Eyes comically wide, Dai pulled his friend inside. Depositing the crying boy on the sofa, he ran to get some tissue. At the sound of Iori's wailing, Dai redoubled his efforts- make that, a lot of tissue… Upon returning to the spot where he had deposited his friend he noticed a few things. Not the least of which was that Iori was still wearing the same clothing from the previous evening. Also, he was acting odd- to put it lightly. Sitting down, Daisuke tried to keep his voice as gentle as possible. "Have you been home yet?"

The crying boy only shook his head. It was all just so unfair. Life was some sort of joke, it had to be. Why else would he be able to get so close to someone so beautiful… only to be pushed away.

Daisuke decided to try again. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

Iori calmed himself and grabbed some of the tissue his friend had brought out for the occasion. Sniffling a little still, he decided he had to tell someone. Daisuke was going to find out sooner or later anyway. "I talked with Takeru."

Digesting that fact, Dai smiled first and then winced. The younger boy wouldn't be crying if things had gone as dreamed. "Shit. You wouldn't be at my door crying if this story had a happy ending. What did he say?"

Two jade eyes turned to the second leader of the Chosen. "You know he broke up with Hikari?" There was a watery smile. "He did it because he's in love with someone else. And after last night with what happened with you and Ken, I guess I was just feeling confident, you know?" Breaking off, Iori shook his head. "I'm so foolish."

The words were painful to hear. A boy who was in mentality already an adult and renown among his friends for his intellect calling himself stupid. Something in that one idea was infinitely sad to Daisuke. "You're not foolish, Iori," he said quietly and pulled his friend into a hug. As he rubbed soothing circles onto the smaller boy's back he continued. "It's not your fault that he's afraid of his own feelings. And it's not your fault for admitting the truth, even he didn't want to hear it."

"I guess," the reply was muffled by layers of cloth. After a short while, the crying slowed. Pulling out of the comforting embrace, Iori sighed. It would be so easy if Takeru would admit the truth to himself. However, he had come out to one of his closest friends… as a way of breaking up with her, no less. Perhaps it was a tall order to expect the blond to plunge headlong into a new relationship. Biting his lip, he hesitated a moment before asking his next question. "What was it like?"

Daisuke had settled back on the couch, watching his friend with a careful gaze. "What was what like?"

"Being with him. Being with the person you wanted."

Ah, yes, that. Indeed. How to explain something so wonderful that ultimately would remain eternally superficial because of outside circumstances? "It was amazing. No, more than amazing. It was better than anything I could have dreamed of. Having him in my arms and hearing him cry out my name…" Words failed him and his voice dropped away. The next question caught him completely off guard.

"Could you… show me?" Iori wasn't surprised to see Daisuke's head whip up as the other boy gaped at him.

"You can't fucking be serious!" There was just no way. But, he was nodding…

"I'm very serious, Daisuke." He let his jade eyes drop for a moment as he licked his lips. "Takeru doesn't want me. No matter what you say or what anyone else tells me. And… Ken… you don't know what's going to happen there. And, I trust you, Dai," he looked up again, trying to put all of his conviction in his eyes. "You know I care about you. I trust you." Looking away again, he whispered, "I just want to know what it feels like."

"Feels like?" Did he mean solely on the physical basis Daisuke thought he meant? Because that could just end up being really weird.

Iori nodded. "To feel cherished like that. To be held. To be the sole focus of someone else's world." Going quiet again, he asked the only other question he truly wanted an answer to at that moment. "Was Ken your first?"

It took Daisuke a few minutes. This was one hell of a situation to be hit with so suddenly. Once his mind finally grasped what his friend was asking, he was able to supply an answer. "No. No, Ken wasn't my first. But I still don't under-"

He was cut off by Iori's mouth closing over his. And as much as he knew he should push the other boy away, it just felt so good. To be wanted. To be trusted…

***

Yamato snapped his cell phone shut and closed his eyes. Why did it seem that his small group of friends was hellbent on creating as much drama as possible?

"Takeru?" Taichi's voice was soft, his eyes knowing.

The blond nodded and glanced carefully at the female in their party. "He was pretty upset. Guess he thinks he made a huge mistake."

Hikari snorted. "Well, not with me he didn't. As much as I want to be pissed off at the bastard, he did have the balls to be honest with me."

The young men stared at her with open shock. Tai finally managed to strangle his way through a reprimand. "'Kari! I can't believe you just called your best friend that!"

Sighing, she sipped her third cup of coffee. "Sorry. Yamato, I'm sure you can understand." The blond nodded at a total loss for words. "It's not that I hate him or anything, I'm just really hurt right now. I mean, if he knew he was gay why did he have to freaking date me? Why couldn't he have just told me up front? It's not like I would have told him he was going to burn in Hell for all eternity or something!" The last was said with acute bitterness. Picking up her cup again, she muttered, "Cruel little prick."

Yamato and Taichi glanced at each other, neither being certain how to handle the situation at all. Because they both loved Takeru and could understand his choice. But, Hikari did have a point. A rather valid one at that.

"I don't know what to tell you," Yamato offered. "I wish there was something I could say to make it all better. I really do."

She set her cup down again and rubbed at one of her eyes- as though trying her damnedest not to cry. "Yeah, Yama, I know. Friendship and all that, right?"

"Well, yeah," he shrugged and glanced at Taichi for some sort of help.

Tai, of course, was so flabbergasted by hearing his sister talk complete and utter trash about someone that whatever signal in his brain dictated tact was cut off. "Did he tell you who?" Almost immediately he regretted speaking, or even being born. The withered look 'Kari sent his way made him want to shrivel into a ball and die.

"Why, yes, darling brother, he did tell me. And no, I'm not about to divulge that information." If she were to be honest with herself in that moment, Hikari would have admit a sense of satisfaction at her brother's blush and obvious mortification with himself. "Well, I won't tell until you buy me some chocolate anyway."

Hook, line, and sinker! Taichi instantly snapped his fingers trying to hail down a waiter. "GarV on! We need some cake, stat!"

***

Despite the protestations, despite the fact that they both knew it was a bad idea- on so many levels- Daisuke and Iori found themselves falling victim to the trademark lust of hormonal teenage years. The couch in the living room belonging to the family Motomiya had never seen so much action.

Although, even in the rage of pheromones, Daisuke still had enough peace of mind to check in, repeatedly. He wanted to be certain that there were no doubts and no misunderstandings between the two of them. Iori needed this and so did Dai. They could have gone to other people for the sort of physical comfort and contact they wanted. But they trusted one another. Enough that they were willing to have sex and maintain their friendship. Because they both knew it was an act of friendship. Daisuke would never hurt Iori, nor would he ever expect the experience to come back and haunt either of them. It was simple really, once it was broken down. Iori needed a friend more than anything else, a friend who would do whatever necessary to mend a broken heart. Daisuke was just the person to go to.

They moved on the couch, actions quickly ranging from tentative to exploring to desperate urgency. Somewhere in the midst of it all, they chose to ignore the exact implications of what was happening. Had Daisuke looked at it… he probably would have been ashamed. Two boys in less than twenty-four hours, both of whom had been virgins before Motomiya was on the scene. Such is life. Although, Ken certainly hadn't protested- in fact, he'd asked. So had Iori. And once they were actually engaged… the younger boy seemed rather glad he had made the request. At least, that's what Dai liked to think. His assumption was accurate, and Iori was grateful. Because let it never be said that Daisuke was a bad lover.

Still, if they had been paying attention they would have noticed the third party. Someone who had gone to seek Daisuke's counsel. A friend who had heard noises inside the apartment and only wanted to make sure no one was dead or dying. A boy who trusted both Iori and Daisuke to never hurt him… and who felt the burning agony of betrayal at what he witnessed. And it was only when Takeru started to cry that the other two noticed his presence.

Post-coital and trying to calm down, Daisuke heard it first. Iori heard the noise only seconds later. They both looked up to see the blond angel of Hope with tears streaming down his face. "How could you?!" The accusation stung and it hung in the air as Takeru turned and fled the apartment.

"Son of a bitch," Daisuke muttered as he rolled onto the floor. "I'm never sleeping with anyone ever again. I can't seem to do this without hurting everyone I care about."

Quiet and thoughtful, Iori had to shrug as he glanced at his friend. "Yeah, but at least he got jealous."

Dai looked up at that remark. "Dude, that sounded bitchy even to me. I think we've been spending far too much time together."

"Probably," the younger conceded. When a small heap of clothing was placed on his stomach he moved to redress. "So, what do we do now?"

Daisuke thought for a moment. His life had just gone from bad to worse. Now there would be two people out for his head. Two of the scariest people he knew: Miyako and Yamato. He was going to die. "You go try and catch up with Takeru and I try to find Yamato to explain my sorry ass before he guts me."

"Sounds like a plan to me," was all Iori said.

As they left the apartment both moved slowly with heavy hearts. Really, it had been a good idea at the time. Hugging each other again they headed out in opposite directions. As Daisuke walked away, the other boy's parting words rang in his head.

__

"Thank you for being there when I needed you."

Thank you indeed. But how would he ever explain the situation to Yamato?

*************

I said beware the random pairing(s), didn't I? Don't ask how Daiori wound up happening. With me writing it no less. Even I'm freaked out by it. Um… review? And don't worry, this mess will get more interesting as the fic continues!


	3. 3

Notes: as previously stated, this is just a ridiculous amount of fun. 

Warnings: let's see… um, all the standard stuff from me really- yaoi, cursing, alcoholism.   


Disclaimer: I can't think of any more witty lines for this- don't own the characters, just borrowing.   


_The Free Fall – 3 Everything Happens to Me_

Taichi, Yamato, and Hikari each sat thinking about the recent events. After conceding to Tai's gracious bribe of rich, ultra-fatty chocolate cake, 'Kari had decided to tell all.   


"Yeah, so it was around five years ago when he first realized it I guess," she offered around of bite of dessert.   


Tai's eyes automatically grew big. It didn't take a rocket scientist to pick up on the time frame. His little sister was seventeen now. Which left only one obvious guess…   
  
"The Jogress thing?" Yamato looked sympathetic, if not hurt on his brother's behalf.   


"You felt it too, huh?" Taichi reached out and rubbed the other man's shoulder, and kissed him on the cheek when he nodded.   


"While this is all well and good," Hikari sighed, "I would like to point out that it's been very rough for Takeru to keep this secret. Iori's a lot younger than us, after all."   
  
While the new couple nodded in utmost empathy, Yamato's cell phone rang again. Glancing at the small contraption he frowned. "Hello?"   
  
Both brother and sister of the Yagami clan paled at the hysterical screaming that came from the other end of the conversation. All they could discern were two names: Daisuke and Iori. Beyond that, there was only the notorious cold fury of Yamato.   


"HE DID WHAT??!! I'LL KILL THE LITTLE MOTHERFUCKER!!"   
  
This outburst, of course, resulted in a lot of disapproving glares from nearby customers. Almost immediately, Taichi and 'Kari blushed while they watched as their friend's eyes narrowed and he murmured a few things into the phone before snapping it shut with a definitive movement.   


"We have to go," was all Yamato had to say. "Now."   
  
Tai tugged on his new boyfriend's sleeve, pulling him back into his seat. "We need our check first and you need to calm the fuck down before we go anywhere. What the hell happened?"   
  
It was a few minutes before the other young man replied. A few minutes of deep breathing, counting, and trying to soothe his irrational temper. When he could finally speak the words were choked and bitter. "My little brother has just had his heart broken. He walked in on Daisuke fucking the living daylights out of Iori. We need to go find the little Motomiya shit so I can kill him."

Hikari swallowed and felt her eyes go wide. The situation had just gone from bad to insane. "But why would Dai do something like that? I mean, he just slept with Ken too. Does he just want to go around screwing everyone and their relationships?"

Taichi had been quiet for a few minutes. A few minutes too long really. His silence wasn't going unnoticed by either of the people accompanying him. While he was aware of the odd looks aimed in his direction he was also trying to put his thoughts into words. Delicate words given Yamato's highly explosive nature. Ultimately, he sighed and went for broke. "I know why he did it."

Sapphire eyes narrowing to deadly slits, Yamato sat back in his chair. "Oh, this ought to be good. Lay your infinite fucking wisdom upon me!"

And as much as Tai wanted to throw water, or better still hot coffee, on his long time friend… he opted to scowl and give his explanation instead. "If you would shut the fuck up and stop being such a freaking Drama Queen for five seconds maybe I would," he hissed. Watching the blond sink back into his chair he raised an eyebrow and continued. "Look at it this way- while we've been out of the Digital World and locked away from it for three and a half years we all still carry the same traits that earned us tags, crests, and digimentals, right? So, add to that the fact that our boy Daisuke has got both yours and mine. Now what do you think that's done for him? I mean, look at how much we fight!"

'Kari nodded in agreement. "That actually does make sense. A twisted kind of logic, really, but logic none the less. Odd."

Yamato chewed on this point for a minute. Shoulders slumped he peered at Tai. "He's got my mood swings, your impulsiveness, your strength, and my compulsion to be there when… friends… need me… Oh shit. That sucks!"

"Tell me about it," came a cynical reply from behind them. "Can we just skip to the killing me part now? I've still got to catch up with Miyako for a castration appointment at two this afternoon." Daisuke looked like he had walked into the seventh circle of Hell.

***

Meanwhile, Iori had found Takeru and was trying to hash out his own situation. It wasn't pretty considering...

"Can you please just tell me why?" Takeru was crying, past the hysterics, but still in tears. His voice was breaking on every other word and overall he just seemed incredibly hurt.

For his part, the younger of the two was past his bitchiness, but still felt no real need to justify himself. "You know why," was all he had to offer.

The reasoning did not fit into Takeru's scheme of logic. "Oh really?" His voice went from fragile to hard in seconds. "Is it because you just needed someone to be there? Or maybe you talked to Ken and heard how good a fuck Dai really is? Then again, I could be wrong and it could just be that you've always wanted to fuck Daisuke." He broke off bitterly and shook his head. When Iori was quiet for too long he dared to glance at the other boy and found that he was shaking in rage.

"Fuck you, Takeru! Just fuck you!" There were tears in Iori's eyes that were clouding his vision. But after everything that had happened to him within the past twenty-four hours, he really didn't care. "I told you how I felt and I was honest. You were just being a complete coward and that's not my fault. So you had trouble accepting the fact that at some point you wanted me, is that it? What makes you think this has been easy for me? And then on top of waiting for you for five years, you expect me to wait some more because you're still too much of a pussy to take the next step? What am I supposed to do go home every night and play Hello Right Hand?!" It took every discernable measure of control not to hit the blond. Oh how he wanted to though...

Aqua eyes blinking rapidly, the Keeper of Hope tried to process and find words, but found himself at a complete loss. Eventually, the only coherent thing he could squeak out was, "Five years?"

"Yes, Takeru," Iori's shoulders slumped, the rage suddenly gone from him. "I've been in love with you for five years. And... and we were so young when it first hit me, I had no idea what to do or how to act. I just wanted you to love me back- even when you were with Hikari. I kept thinking that you would open those beautiful eyes one day and see." Face contorted from emotion, the youngest put his anger back in place. "But you didn't, and I got so tired of waiting. Daisuke knows how that feels, 'Keru. He knew what I needed and what to do about it. I... I don't know..."

The mention of the auburn haired boy made TK's eyes flicker for a moment, but he tucked his rage away. "And what was it that you needed so desperately that you went to him? Why couldn't you have come to me?"

Shaking his head, Iori sat down next to his favorite blond, but didn't look at him. "Because it was about you and you had already pushed me away. I was at the end of my rope with waiting and longing. It just... I just needed someone to hold me and make me feel special, Takeru. After talking to you this morning I thought it would never happen with you." Pausing, he swallowed past the lump in his throat and peered back up at his friend. "I still love you. More than ever."

The pair was quiet for a while. Each boy digesting the situation. After a time, Takeru sighed, shook his head, and put his arms around the smaller brunette. "I've loved you since our Jogress too," he whispered into the fine strands of hair. "Always. Since then, it's only been you."

From somewhere near the blonde's shoulder another voice whispered, "Then why did you push me away like that?"

Takeru shrugged. "Scared, I guess." Taking a deep breath, he sought the hope he kept inside. "But, I'm not scared anymore." 

Iori pulled back to look into his friend's eyes. "You don't mean that," he whispered. "You can't. Not after I've screwed everything up so badly."

Putting a hand over the other boy's mouth, the blond gave a tender smile. "It's okay," he said quietly. "I mean, I've got my past with Hikari after all. You know I'd forgive you anything, Iori." Clear blue eyes meeting crisp jade he removed his hand. "Fresh start?"

Unable to believe his luck, the brunette nodded. "Yeah." But just to be sure, he pulled Takeru into a kiss.

***

Rubbing at tired cinnamon spice eyes, Daisuke sighed. "You know I'm sorry, Yamato. I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I really am, but you've got to know."

For his part, the older Chosen felt guilty but still upset. "I do," he nodded. "But that doesn't excuse what you did, Daisuke! I mean, Jesus- were either of you ever going to tell my brother?"

"I hope so," Hikari mumbled around another bite of cake.

Glaring at the Child of Light, Dai answered the question that had been directed at him in the first place. "Iori probably would have. And if he hadn't I would've asked him to, then eagerly awaited death at your hands or your brother's." Rubbing his eyes again he chuckled, but it lacked any real mirth. "Of course, I'll be dead by sundown today anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Miyako's seriously going to fuck my shit up when she gets a chance."

Tai winced at the thought. Everyone knew about Miyako's temper and what she was prone to do with it once activated. Still, something was plaguing the older goggle-head. "I'm surprised you lived to see the sun come up today," he joked casually. "Why the hell didn't she beat you twenty ways from Sunday last night?"

Daisuke shrugged and proceeded to look even gloomier than before. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Kari swallowed another luscious bite of chocolate, grateful for easily bribed brothers, and offered an explanation into her own Jogress partner's psyche. "Miyako's the Keeper of Love and Sincerity, right? Add to that her pseudo-obsession with Ken and you've got a very blind Miyako. Not that I particularly want the details, but it's sort of important. How far along with things were you and Ken when she barged in last night?"

At least, Daisuke had the decency to blush. "Uh, just about at the money point," he mumbled, honestly embarrassed about the whole sordid affair.

Hikari nodded. "She saw it then," was all she said and resumed chowing down on her cake.

The three other people at the table stared at her. Each young man present wore a look of complete confusion and Hikari had to giggle internally. Sometimes being the enigmatic one was only too much fun.

"Saw what?" Tai finally asked what everyone wanted to know.

"Well, Dai, you really do love Ken, don't you? I mean, I hope you didn't sleep with him last night just for the hell of it. If that's the case, then yeah, Miyako's going to kill you and I'll help her out, but-"

"No," Daisuke broke in. "I really do love him. Wish I didn't, but can't say otherwise." Leaning forward on the table he folded his arms and buried his face at the memory. Ken had been so sweet, so wonderful...

"Ahem," Kari broke the little reverie and raised an eyebrow when her friend looked at her again. "Well, you'll at least get a fighting chance for that then. I honestly don't know how Ken feels about you. No one does. Of all of us, I would have thought you'd be the one with the answers here." Shrugging yet again, she finished off the cake.

"Well, obviously I'm not," he snapped at her. It was just starting to make his head hurt even more. So, if Miyako saw something there, then what the hell did that mean? "This is just really fucking confusing. Sorry I snapped at you." Daisuke rubbed his friends shoulder as she simply shrugged.

However, as previously stated, Daisuke held a great deal of impulsiveness, much like his older counterpart. Said older counterpart was rapidly losing patience for a much overlooked piece of information. After ninety seconds of silence, he cracked. Taichi tried to feign nonchalance as he proceeded to make himself look like the biggest ass ever. "So, how far along were you with Iori when TK barged in? Just about at the money shot again?"

Yamato scowled and belted Tai across the shoulder with the back of his hand. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Ow!" Taichi rubbed the now sore spot on his right shoulder. "Dude, that fucking hurt!"

The blond gestured in mortification. "Good, you jackass! What the fuck are you asking something like that for? I mean, it's none of your business-"

"You're just pissed because I asked first," the brunette shot back. "You wouldn't be half as much of a bitch right now if you had thought of it."

"Are you trying to imply something about my level of intelligence, Taichi?" Yamato's face was turning slightly pink and one elegant eyebrow rose on pure instinct.

"Yeah, I'm saying you're a Prima Donna Dumb Fucking Blond sometimes. Just like I'm a Jerkoff Retard Jock sometimes. Who lit the fuse on your fucking tampon, Yama?" Tai was getting up in the blond's face as much as possible and the duo was attracting a lot of unwanted attention.

Partly off to the side, Daisuke and Hikari murmured to each other.

"You think they'll kill each other?" 

"Nah, they fight like this all the time, don't they?"

"Well, it'll make for some good sex at least."

"Kari! I can't believe you just said that!"

Meanwhile... 

"You arrogant, stupid, hardheaded bastard! Why the shit do I even bother?!"

"Because, in case you've forgotten within the past hour or so, Yamato, you _love_ me! Idiot!"

That said, the blond suddenly stopped to stare at the brunette. He had to admit, Taichi had a point. To prove it, Yamato captured the other man's lips in a heated kiss. "Yes, I do love you," he whispered when they parted. "And don't you ever fucking forget it, Yagami."

Tai's chocolaty eyes had gone wide. His insides turned to jello, and his mind emptied even further. This was proven by his next question: "So, would it be completely off the wall if I asked you to come fuck my brains out in the men's bathroom right now?"

***

Iori and Takeru had pulled away from kissing with complete abandon to bask in dumbfounded glory. And while they both were overjoyed at the entire fact that, at long last, they were finally together... both of them found their thoughts wandering to a suddenly notorious goggle-wearer. 

The blond bit his lip in profound concentration, desperately praying for a solution to the anger he felt towards his longtime friend. However, the gods seemed to be keeping all ideas to themselves. Clenching and unclenching his fist, TK began to chew on his lip to the point of making himself bleed.

After watching the play of emotions on Takeru's face, Iori finally sighed. As much as he loved the Angel of Hope, the boy was absolutely worthless at hiding his feelings when he was angry. "Please don't kill him," was all the brunette had to offer.

Pausing in his lip eating, the blond blinked at the boy in his arms. "Who?"

Ah, so it was going to be that kind of game... And as much as Iori wanted to reply with cool, breathless defiance "the guy you caught fucking me earlier" he decided that would be tacky and simply named him instead. "Daisuke. I know you're pissed at him, but please do me a favor and don't kill him."

The duo was quiet for a few moments while they considered the possible outcomes of Takeru attacking everybody's favorite fiery boy. In the end, they both came to the same conclusion: Daisuke would most likely just roll over and let Takeru beat him to death out of a twisted form of respect and friendly obligation.

TK just shook his head and gave a malicious chuckle. "I don't think I'm the person he should be worried about."

"Well, I know you sicked your brother on him now too..." Iori simply let the thought trail off. Better left unsaid on that front. No need to explain to his so recently acquired boyfriend that only a couple short hours ago after screwing one of their mutual friends, they had parted ways so that the boy he slept with could go find Yamato and explain the goings-on. No need for that at all. Coughing to cover his sudden quirk of nerves, Iori turned his cool jade eyes slightly to study TK in his peripheral vision. "He should worry more about Miyako. She's going to gut him when she finds him."

Debating the merits of helping the Keeper of Love and Sincerity, Takeru ultimately shrugged the idea away. "She'll do worse than that, you know. Daisuke will be lucky to die within the first day of torture." Pausing and closing his brilliant aqua eyes, he fought past a vicious wave of jealousy. "Can I ask you something?"

A dangerous question, that. On his guard and prepared for nearly anything, Iori set his jaw. "Sure, go ahead."

It was difficult- finding a way to phrase his next statement. "I know that you said you needed someone..." the words came out choked, but he kept going anyway. "But, do you... I mean, are you in..." Finally, he had to whisper, "Do you love him at all?"

Now that was something Iori hadn't been expecting. And it was becoming increasingly clear that Takeru really was just an angel. Innocent and perhaps a bit too naive for his own good. He had to take a breath, let it out slowly and answer as calmly as possible. "Takeru, I do love Daisuke- in just the same way that you do. As a friend. And as my friend he knew what I needed, he knew what I wanted, and how to help me." Struggling for words he was cut off before he could elaborate further.

"But if he's just a friend then how could you... with him? I mean," he looked at the brunette, tears in his eyes, "didn't you want it to be special? Your first time?"

Iori felt his lips rise in a wistful smile. "My first time with you will be special." He leaned up and kissed the blond. "Besides," he whispered in Takeru's ear, "you can't throw stones. I know you slept with Kari." It was a vindictive move and a true gamble. Hmm... maybe he really had been spending too much time with Daisuke.

From the look of absolute shock on Takeru's face, it seemed a distinct possibility.

***

you know, I had initially planned another section for this chapter that involved the Daisuke/Hikari/Yamato/Taichi group, but... fuck it. This works, right? Yeah, I am planning on finishing this fic. Expect the unexpected and watch out- the next chapter, Daisuke meets up with Miyako and Hikari goes to talk to Ken. Fun is. 


End file.
